Electrical railway-signaling



'(No Model.)

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. WADDE'LL.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY 'SIGNALING." 7

NO. 400,525. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

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W. H. WADDELL ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNALING.

No. 400.525 Patented Apr. 2, 1889',

v EUNITEDV STATES :ATENT Fries.

WVILLIAM H. lVADDELL-OF LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA.

ELECTRICAL-RAILWAY-SIGNALING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,525, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed August 21, 1888. Serial No. 283,357. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WAD ELL, of Lexington, in the county of Rockbridge and State of Virginia, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Electrical Railway-Signals; and I do hereby declare that the My invention relates to an improvement in electric signals to prevent accidents on railways.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved electrical railway-signal, whereby, when two railway-trains approach within certain distances of each other, one or more signals will be sounded upon one or both of the trains, thereby notifying the engineers and giving them time in whichto stop their trains before a collision occurs. With these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, and particularly'pointed out in the claims. Y

Referring to .the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a portion of a railroad-track and two approaching cars provided with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of different forms of movable contact-arms carried by andmoving with a car and bearing upon the parallel conductors, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one pair of contacts. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of two cars following each other with conductors, &c., and showing one car provided with a switch, whereby the battery can be connected with the bell and contacts on one side of the car or with the contacts on the opposite side.

In the drawings, the reference-letter A in-- they can be secured to suitable insulators at any desirable height. Each pair of conductors isformed in sections of a suitable lengthsay, two milesand between the sections there are breaks, as at E, so that the different sections are insulated from each other, and, further, the sections on opposite sides of the track overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 1-

conductors 011 one side of the track occur approximately opposite the centers of the sections on the opposite side of the track. Each section of the conductors is preferably provided with one or more circuit-breakers, F, located within its length, and consisting. of two-inclines extending in opposite directions and in the vertical plane of'the conductors. Said inclines extend above and cover the conductors and meet at their upper ends to form a continuous surface.

D D, Fig. 1, indicate two cars or trains moving toward each other and each provided with a transverse beam or shaft, G, or other suitable material, to which are loosely pivoted or hinged the upper ends or contact carriers the same a vertical movement. In the present instance there are four contact-carrierstwo on each side, one for each conductorare provided with suitable contacts, g g g g, such as rollers, as seen in Fig. 3, coiled uninsulated wire, as seen in Fig. 4, or any other suitable sliding contacts which slide upon their respective conductors, as clearly shown. The two contacts onthe right side (preferably) of each car or engine are insulated from each other and connected with the opposite poles of a battery, 2', by wires 1 2, and the two contacts on the other side of the car or engine are also insulated from each other and 0011- nected with an electric bell or other suitable alarm, j, by wires 3 4. Thus it will be readily seen that when two trains are moving toward each other there will be no closed circuit until one pair of contacts of each train reaches the same section, when the circuit will pass from one pole of the battery on one train through,

able contact, g, connected with wire 2 through a conductor, B, upon which contact 9 slides to a contact, g, sliding 011 that conductor and that is, the breaks between the sections of the and at their lower free ends said carriers H say, wire 2, connected with that pole to a movor arms, H H H H, to allow the free ends of on the opposite train through wire 4 to and ringing the bell and back again through wire 3, a movable contact, g, sliding on the other parallel conductor, B, conductor B, a contact, g, sliding on the same on opposite train, and from contact g to opposite pole of battery by wire 1, thereby notifying the engineer on one of the trains, and as the trains approach nearer to each other a circuit will be closed on the opposite side of the track, and the bell in. the other engine will be rung, the course taken by this circuit being similar to that just described, the positions of the battery and bell being reversed, (i. e., on opposite trains and opposite sides from those included in the first circuit,) and the conductors B on the opposite side of the track from the connection between the trains. hen the contacts pass over the inclines or circuit-breakers F, of course the circuit will be broken, the bell ringing again as the contact touches the conductors on the other side of the incline, thus making the alarm more noticeable by having it sound at intervals.

By means of an ordinary switch-board the battery on an engine can be changed from right to left. (See Fig. 6.) This is necessary when the trains are following each other in the same direction; or, instead of the switchboard, a battery can be interposed between the contacts connected with the bell and in circuit with the bell. (See Fig. 3.)

If necessary, the hinged arms or contact holders can be provided with a spring, J, (see Fig. 5,) to hold the contacts yieldingly in engagement with the parallel conductors to allow for inequalities of the conductors and rapid motion of the train.

If the conductors on the opposite side of the track were not formed in overlapping sections, but the breaks in the sections were opposite each other, two trains might meet at the breaks without even notifying each other. The pivoted contacts preferably slide after the car, as shown in Fig. 2.

The great advantages and utility of the herein described invention can be readily seen and understood by all railway men and others; hence it is not considered necessary to fully enumerate the same herein.

It is clearly evident that various changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In an electrical railway-signal, the combination, with a track, of two parallel pairs of conductors normally out of circuit insulated from the ground and located on opposite sides of the track, each pair of conductors having no electrical communication with the other pair, and the conductors of each pair being parallel and insulated from each other and divided into non-communicating sections, the breaks between the sections of the pair of conductors on one side of the track being located approximately opposite the centers of the sections of the pair on the opposite side, for the purpose set forth.

2. An. electrical railway-signal comprising two pairs of parallel conductors insulated from each other and from the ground and located on opposite sides of a railroad-track, said conductors being normally out of circuit and the conductors of each pair insulated from each other and divided into non-communicating sections, two pairs of contacts carried by and on opposite sides of a car or engine, said contacts being insulated from each other and each electrically engaging and sliding on a separate conductor, the two contacts on one side being connected, respectively, with. the opposite poles of a battery carried by the engine, and the two contacts on the opposite side being included in a circuit containing a bell or alarm, all operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

3. An electrical caution-signal for railways, comprising two pairs of parallel conductors located on opposite sides of a track and insulated from each other, two pairs of contacts carried on opposite sides of a car or engine and electrically engaging said conductors, and inclined circuitrbreakers located a suit able distance apart along and rising above said conductors to momentarily throw the contacts from engagement with the conduct ors as they pass over them for the purpose of intermittently sounding the alarm, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an electrical caution-signal for railways, two pairs of hinged or pivoted arms located in opposite sides of a caror engine and each carrying a contact insulated from the others, and each adapted to electrically ena separate conductor extending along the track, the two contacts 011 one side being electrically connected with the opposite poles and forming the terminals of a battery carried by the car or engine, and the two contacts 011 the opposite side forming the terminals of a circuit including a bell or alarm, all operating substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM. ll. \VADDELL.

\Vit-nesses:

SAML. O. CAMPBELL, JNo. S. WHiTE.

I to 

